The hidden woman in Pablo Picasso's "The old Guitarist"

Posted On: 13:56:10 - 06/11/2015 - Viewed: 1410

During Pablo Picasso’s “Blue Period” (1901-1904), he faced the tough time and funds for art supplies were tight. Sometimes, when the artist was particularly strapped, he would substitute cardboard for canvas.

During Pablo Picasso’s “Blue Period” (1901-1904), he faced the tough time and funds for art supplies were tight. Sometimes, when the artist was particularly strapped, he would substitute cardboard for canvas. When he had canvas, it was occasionally repurposed. One of the most well-known examples of the body of work Picasso created during this time, The Old Guitarist, turned out to have been painted over another figure.

If you have ever seen this painting in person, it is possible that you noticed what looked like another face, behind the bent neck of the guitarist. Although it is not clear who this hidden portrait is of, x-ray imaging has revealed a number of additional details. The woman is nursing a small child, and appears to be in some sort of pastoral setting as she is accompanied by a bull and a sheep.